


Long Long Dan

by MarineHaddock



Category: Kamen Rider Ex-Aid
Genre: Alternate Universe - Normal Life, Blow Jobs, Cheating, Crack, Crack Treated Seriously, Crushes, Love Confessions, Love Triangles, Love at First Sight, M/M, Marriage Proposal, Not polyamory, Unhealthy Relationships, Weddings
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-11-03
Updated: 2020-02-06
Packaged: 2021-01-20 15:57:18
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 17,661
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21284327
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MarineHaddock/pseuds/MarineHaddock
Summary: Parad and Emu have been dating a while but a spanner is thrown in the works when across the room, Emu's eyes meet Dan Kuroto.
Relationships: Dan Kuroto/Houjou Emu, Dan Kuroto/Parad, Houjou Emu/Parad
Comments: 30
Kudos: 23





	1. With His Long Long Legs

**Author's Note:**

  * For [DroppedAllTheseOreos](https://archiveofourown.org/users/DroppedAllTheseOreos/gifts).

> Happy Birthday Cy, I wasn't sure what to do to celebrate, and so I made a meme, or at least started to. I plan to see this through to the end in your honour.

Emu sat on the fake motorbike by the door, watching the demo play on the screen. Parad had gone to get their money exchanged for some change that the arcade machines would actually accept. He tended to have loose coins set aside for arcade dates but hadn't accumulated enough since last time. Usually, they'd had a few weeks between going to the arcade together, but Parad was getting pushier and pushier, wanting to be together more frequently. As much as he liked dating him, Emu really needed to work on his stuff for med school. The arcade wasn't exactly installing a Trauma Center machine any time soon, and he wasn't exactly a naturally gifted student.

Still, he couldn't turn down the offer. Partially, he didn't want to upset Parad, but also he just genuinely was struggling with his self-study. The more he stared at the page the angrier he felt. It just felt easier to take a break, unwind, and try not to fear what was waiting for him when he got home. Even if the piling up work did make him anxious in the long run. That was an issue for future Emu to deal with.

Parad came over with a cup full of coins and handed him a few, before dumping the rest into his pockets, splitting them by type between the pockets of his jacket and trousers.  
"One round of Oni mode, then we can play whatever you like." Parad bargained with him. The past few trips had featured Parad getting frustrated at the Taiko machine as he tried to build up the skill for tackling the Excite Oni mode. It started with a friendly versus, and well, Genius Gamer M wasn't going to try anything less than Oni. He had something to prove after all. Parad hadn't been able to drop it, he had to get as good as Emu, and he just wasn't there yet. Maybe that's why he'd invited him, he'd probably been spending every night in here practising and finally had some skill worth boasting over. The thing was, Emu had already told him he was sick of having to play Excite on repeat. It wasn't a challenge, and there was only so much fun that could be taken from beating an easy opponent.  
"One round, then we play something else." He agreed, figuring the sooner they did this, the sooner it would be over with and they could play some games they actually liked. Ones that weren't just fuelled by them both being fiercely competitive. 

Emu followed him over and let him select the song for them, both of them giving a few test hits to make sure the other couldn't claim the control was bust when they lost. They'd gotten used to checking each other's controllers beforehand to say they had proof when the other tried to make excuses about it acting up. The song started and Emu was only half paying attention, a lot of it now like muscle memory from having gone through this game so many times on his own and then so many times because Parad just couldn't drop it. Hitting every red and blue perfectly, even having time to notice the beats Parad missed. Looks like they'd be back in next week. Or tomorrow. Maybe even before they left today.

His eyes started to wander, something that was uncommon when he was gaming no matter how easy he found the game. Usually he would stay laser-focused. But today, his eyes seemed to know there was something he had to see, now was the time they to take a look around the arcade. It was pretty busy for a weekday, though dedicated gamers were always going to come here instead of study. You don't beat M by sitting at home doing maths. None of these kids was who had somehow caught his attention without even trying, for his eyes landed on a man towards the back, talking to the manager. A tall man, in a black blazer and tight trousers. Neat black hair and a cheerful smile as he spoke. Even from a distance, he was clearly handsome. 

It took Emu a minute, but he knew this man. He'd seen him at many launch events and competitions and shook his hand more times than he cared to count.  
Dan Kuroto. The CEO of Genm.  
Emu could feel his chest tighten suddenly, in much the same way it had during all those handshakes but he'd brushed off as the nerves of the competition. Right now there was no such competition. He was simply looking at Dan Kuroto, and wondering if this was a time to re-introduce himself. Maybe he'd remember him, he'd only won every single genm game based tournament that had been held after all. He'd even personally signed his games as a prize! Emu set down the sticks and went to make a move.

"Emu?" Parad noticed the sudden forfeit and stopped Emu in his tracks. Right. He had been on a date. He'd been playing a game. One he'd forgotten about just to stare at a particularly hot game developer.  
"s-Sorry. It's just," Emu thought of making an excuse for a minute but then realised it wasn't exactly like there was anything to hide about this. He leaned in close to Parad's ear, hoping not to alert the other gamers to the situation and risk setting off a crowd. "The CEO of Genm is over there talking to the manager. I was thinking of trying to speak to him."  
Parad looked over Emu's head at where Emu had gestured, trying to see Dan Kuroto for himself. Amazingly, when Emu checked, Kuroto was looking in their direction, the manager had now left him standing in the arcade. Maybe he did recognise him! Maybe he was interested in talking to him too! Emu went to take a step towards him again.  
"Well, he's probably busy, right? CEOs are usually super busy." Parad smiled breathing a small laugh through his nose. He had a point, Kuroto would probably be out of here before he had any chance of getting through this crowd to him. It wasn't like he exactly had anything worth holding a man back from his CEO work for.  
"Yeah, I guess. How about we go play something else then?"  
"You promised me a round of Taiko no Tatsujin!"  
"And we played a round, I even lost!" Emu wasn't exactly happy to admit that part, but it wasn't like it was because he was bad at the game, just that he'd been distracted while playing. He could let that kind of loss slide, and maybe it would even give Parad incentive to move on to the next game instead of playing this constantly. 

Parad groaned, rolling his entire upper half in his exaggerated eye roll.  
"Fine, what do you want to play?" He was making a point of being unhappy about not getting his way. He was like a little kid at times, and rarely in a cute way. All Emu could do was ignore it like his exaserbated parent.  
"If Genm is here, that probably means they're delivering some new games. We should go check it out." Parad chewed the corner of his mouth but nodded. He was pretty easily persuaded by a new game and the chance of being naturally better than Emu at it. 

Emu took his hand to prevent them getting separated as he cut through the crowd towards where the manager and Kuroto had been talking. They'd both left now, which meant hopefully anything new that had been brought in was hopefully plugged in ready for the first game. They got over and sure enough, three brand new machines along the wall, plastic film freshly off the screens. Not a single fingerprint or spec of dust. Mighty Action X, Dangerous Zombie, and Kamen Rider Chronicle. Parad was straight to the Mighty Action machine, throwing his coins in.  
"I thought it was my choice?" Emu took his place by the second controller, reaching across just in time to stop Parad picking the single-player option.  
"Eh, well... You were most excited for Mighty Action right?" While not entirely untrue, they both knew Parad was the bigger Mighty Action fan out of the two of them. Emu had got them the mighty brothers plush set for Christmas and he felt lucky every time he managed to keep his after Parad visiting him. Even now, Parad had a Mighty Action keychain hanging from the chain of his trousers. Still, out of these three games, Parad was right.  
"Alright, I was going to pick it anyway."

As always, it was a complete and utter defeat for Parad.  
"You should have known I bought the handheld version on release." Emu smiled.  
"So did I!"  
"You should know I'm going to beat you at any game, no matter how much practice you've had." Parad groaned.  
"Okay, which of these haven't you got?"  
"I've got all of them." There wasn't a single Genm game Emu didn't own, he'd been buying them all since he was a little kid and first fell in love with gaming. "I don't get why they made a machine for Dangerous Zombie though, I don't think dating Sims are really the best for arcade games."  
"Emu," Parad cut off the oncoming rant. "You really like Genm's games, huh?"  
"Not particularly, I like lots of games." Emu dismissed it, even though it was kind of true. No matter what weird decisions Genm were making, they were his favourite games company and had made some of his all-time favourite games that he'd spent hours of his life on. Parad shrugged.

"Must be my imagination then." He popped another coin into Mighty Action, hitting the single-player option. Emu watched him for a few seconds before noticing something out the corner of his eye. He looked up but had to lean around Parad to see. A few aisles away, Dan Kuroto stood, looking directly at him as if awestruck. Had he finally recognised Emu, realised it was his champion player who'd taken the cup for so many of his games and that they'd happened to just meet in a random arcade? Or was he just seeing the reaction to the new machines since they were the first players? Emu could feel his heart swell to his throat, hoping it was the first one. He really did still want to take this chance and get to speak to his hero properly, ask him all the questions he's ever had, even things as silly as to why is Dangerous Zombie in this arcade. Maybe he could tell him about the letters he wrote to him as a child, and how much his work meant to him. Emu bit his lip, trying to find the strength to move his legs. Should he run over in case Kuroto disappeared before he reached him, or would that seem weirdly desperate? He had to walk, give a good impression, seem cool, he couldn't go making this awkward for the next tournament. He took the step.

"Damn it!" Parad took a step away from the machine, getting in Emu's path and breaking him out of his daze. Another loss. Parad muttered something under his breath and rummaged through his pockets for more coins before noticing Emu.  
"What's up?" Parad asked, taking a second to try following Emu's gaze, but getting in the way of Emu seeing. "Did you see something?"  
Emu shook his head rapidly, not wanting to push on this entire meeting Dan Kuroto thing to Parad like this.  
"Nothing, I was just spacing out." Parad nodded and went back to rummaging for his coins. "How about we go check out something else? It's been a while since we checked the pac-man leader boards, best make sure it's still just us!"  
Parad smiled and pulled out his coins, slipping past Emu to head towards the pac-man machine, taking his hand as he went. Emu followed him, but took a moment to peek back over his shoulder.

But Kuroto was already gone.


	2. With His Long Long...

**_The Pac is ba-a-ack, Ghost chompin' at his feet!_**

Emu slammed his hand down on the answer button as fast as he could.  
"You changed it back."  
"Morning Emu, you're the one that changed it to the Steel Samurai, how are you going to know who you're talking to without a personal ringtone set?"  
"I don't know, Parad, last I checked I could fucking read." Parad laughed on the other end of the line. He checked the screen quickly. Shit, it was 11 already. That's what happens after a busy night and knowing you don't actually have to be in the lecture hall in the morning. Though, Parad knew he would be using this time to sleep in.

"What the hell are you calling me about anyway?" He asked, finally rolling himself out of bed.  
"There was a surprise release of a new Drago Knight last night, I figured you'd missed it since you hadn't told me. I managed to order the steel box but they were actually doing a thing so the first 100 sold would be signed by Graphite's voice actor. I got one for each of us, but the notification just came through to say the courier is almost at yours so I had to wake you." Sure enough, the doorbell went as Parad was explaining. Emu cursed under his breath and quickly grabbed a shirt off the floor to throw on. Not like the courier was going to mind, he'd probably seen a lot worse. He could hear Parad on the phone asking him if that was the courier and blah blah blah, nothing Emu cared enough to pick the phone back up over.  
"Hold on give me a second," Emu shouted, part to Parad and part to the courier at the door to make sure he didn't send through the missed delivery slip. He got to the door, shirt and boxers on, and opened it as he brought the phone back to his ear.

But Emu couldn't hear what Parad was saying on the other end, as when he opened the door, his eyes landed on a sight he never expected. In his doorway, Genm branded box in hand, stood the CEO of the company himself, Dan Kuroto. He was immaculate, hair perfect, collar bones in view from the low neckline of his shirt, tall with a gentle smile on his face, looking like he belonged in an advert. Parad was still going on the other end of the phone, talking about the game probably and definitely not talking about the far more important sight at Emu's door. Emu swallowed hard, finally closing his mouth when he hadn't even realised it had been open.  
"Hold on, I'll phone you back," Emu mumbled out and hit the hang-up button before he even heard Parad respond. Kuroto was just smiling in his doorway like it wasn't that big of a deal for the CEO of a company to be personally delivering packages to customers.

"Why are you..." Emu managed to get out then caught himself, maybe he shouldn't be questioning why fate did what it did, maybe it was simply meant to be like this. A destined meeting at his apartment.  
"Genm noticed your order and recognised you given you're our champion for... almost every game we put out. I figured as a special thank you for your support, I could take some time to hand deliver it to you."  
Emu blinked not really knowing how to respond. Genm had actually recognised him? While he appreciated it, he'd always kind of figured games companies sort of just blew over the actual people behind their e-sports campaigns. He'd always figured the most he'd ever get out of Genm was some sponsorships, a couple of early access copies to advertise for them, and a handshake from the CEO who'd have no clue who he was and viewed him as a walking wad of cash. But someone at Genm had seen his name on the order and it went this far up. They'd gotten it so far up that it reached the CEO. The CEO had decided to hand deliver this and take the time out of his day for a small meeting with Emu. Maybe he'd recognised him in the arcade after all. Maybe he'd wanted to speak to him then but with Parad in the way felt it would of been rude to interrupt. Maybe, at that moment, his heart had pounded as Emu's own had and he'd felt the connection between them, drawing them together as fate.

"I'll still need you to sign the delivery slip, even though I'm not a real courier," Kuroto held out the slip and a Dangerous Zombie themed Mighty pen. Emu quickly signed for it, still in a bit of a daze about what was going on. He opened the box, sliding the game out. Yep, exactly what Parad said, a special edition steel box, with the signature from Graphite's voice actor on the front. It really was sweet of him to think of him when he saw something like this instead of just buying one for himself and leaving it at that. He should probably thank him properly later, or make sure he had something equally impressive for him on his birthday. He should definitely be making this up to Parad. Parad was the one who had made this meeting happen.

"I could sign it if you liked?" Kuroto asked him, corners of his mouth turning up just a bit more, as he held out his hands for Emu to pass it to him. Emu's heart hammered in his chest at the suggestion.  
"Yes, definitely, please," There was no way he could pass up a chance to have his childhood hero sign something for him. If his 8-year-old self had been given such a chance he'd be building a shrine for it! That was definitely all this was. He had a boyfriend and the pounding that would surely destroy his ribs soon was just from his childhood admiration for this man.  
And as Kuroto took it from him, their hands brushed ever so slightly, and Emu felt as if time had stopped at that moment. His hands eternally brushing against Kuroto's as he handed over the game. The pounding in his chest steadily intensifying with every beat, feeling as if it were trying to explode out of him. It wasn't until the game was signed and back in his hands that he came back down to reality.  
Emu looked Kuroto in the eye and noticed he was giving him a kind of look that made him wonder if maybe he'd felt it too.  
"Would you... like to come in for a bit?"  
"Yeah, I think I have some time."

It happened fast. Kuroto walked in. The door closed. The lock turned. Emu's finger found their way into Kuroto's silky smooth hair. His lips locked on Kuroto's. Kuroto accepted the kiss readily, hands holding Emu in place as he kissed back. They stood by the entrance, kissing like that until Kuroto moved his mouth ever so slightly to prod at Emu's with his tongue, finally snapping Emu back out of it. He'd just kissed Dan Kuroto. He hadn't even thought about it, he just went straight in for it.  
"We shouldn't," Emu tried to stop it, pushing Kuroto away. He had a boyfriend! Kuroto was only here because of Parad's kindness and now he had just gone and kissed him. If he stopped now, Parad never had to know. It would just be a silly mistake. He got caught in the moment and kissed Kuroto instead of asking him about Genm as he had definitely been planning to when he invited him in. Kuroto looked at him confused, fingers still tracing his side and cheek. It felt nice. He had to step away. He had to say no and put some distance before...

His hands were back on Kuroto, pulling him back in for another kiss, this time opening his mouth to give him all the access he desired. Kuroto was wasting no time either, tongue stroking inside Emu's mouth, sucking on his lips, and separating kisses with the shortest breaks. The kisses felt more intense by the second and Emu didn't even notice as he was pushed up against the wall, one of Kuroto's long long legs finding its way between his own, pushing up against him. He held the back of Kuroto's head desperately as they kissed, holding him against him as if letting go would make him disappear forever. At this moment, nothing in the world sounded worse than leaving this unfinished. Kuroto's slender fingers found their way into Emu's own hair, pushing it up and making a mess. Emu could feel his head continually slipping from Kuroto's grasp and then being taken again.

Kuroto finally broke away, gasping for air. Emu's body slumped from the sudden loss of Kuroto's strength holding it in place, but Emu could very much feel the pressure on his crotch from the leg still there, grinding against him. He didn't have much time to think before Kuroto was back on him, kissing down his neck, sucking on it hard. He really didn't want to think about having to explain this to Parad right now. He wanted to keep Parad as far from his thoughts as possible as Kuroto's hands worked their way under his shirt. Slender fingers caressed his sides, helping to direct his motions, stimulating him.

"Do you usually fuck fans?" Emu choked out, laughing a bit.  
"Most don't start trying to make out with me the second the door is closed."  
Emu couldn't tell if it was a response that made him feel better or worse. It didn't answer any of his wonders about if Kuroto felt the connection between them. He considered pushing it but the thought was pushed from his mind as a mouth latched onto his nipple, sucking on it hard. The gentle pull was nice and the way Kuroto's tongue teased. One of Kuroto's hands had left Emu's side and was now undoing his own trousers, slipping beneath the waistband to stroke himself within the tight confines. He moved his leg a little to help grind it against Kuroto, watching him getting harder as he did. This was more than he'd ever imagined. Teeth nibbled his now sensitive nipple, drawing a moan from Emu. Immediately upon hearing it Kuroto was back to kissing him full force. Emu loved the feeling of their mouths together. Kuroto was more precise than Parad could ever hope to be.

Emu couldn't see it as they kissed, but felt Kuroto's cock tap his leg as it got free of its prison. Kuroto stroked himself against Emu, rubbing the head of his cock against his leg. Emu tried to grind a bit to convince him to touch him as well and moaned against his mouth until Kuroto finally pressed closer and reached his hand inside Emu's boxers. The slender fingers felt good as they slowly wrapped their way around his cock. His touch was gentle, in complete contrast as to how they were kissing. Only slowly working him up. Gentle touches as he played with him. He pulled Emu out to give himself easier access. Fingers playing with Emu's foreskin and tip in turn before stroking him properly, finally working to actually help Emu get hard instead of just feeling every part of his body. 

"Do you want to move to the bed?" Emu broke away, finally managing to get the words in. He was starting to feel dizzy from all that was happening. Kuroto nodded against him and quickly grabbed another short kiss. Their hands slipped together perfectly as he tugged him over to the bed, a soft double, not quite what he expected the CEO of Genm would be used to fucking in. It was all he needed though. Their fingers kept intertwined as Emu lay down, pulling Kuroto on top of him. He liked the feeling of their hands together. It felt right. Like all, he'd been waiting for. Kuroto pinned one of them by Emu's head, near crushing it trying to keep his balance, but the other found its way to Emu's hair, messing it lovingly. Kuroto kissed him again as he played with the locks, greedily kissing his neck and collar. Their hands slipped apart to give way to get Emu's shirt off and allow Kuroto back on his greedy path. Kissing down his chest, his stomach, excessively greedy kisses at the band of his boxers. His cock was twitching, ignored as the kisses were placed around it, teasing him horribly. Kuroto's mouth hovered over it for a minute and Emu couldn't help groaning. He bucked up trying to meet his lips but Kuroto moved away too fast. His head dipped between Emu's legs, kissing and sucking the flesh of his inner thigh.

Emu couldn't stand the teasing. Parad was the kind of lover to dive for the main event, ass already stretched and ready to go. Usually, Emu would have killed for some good foreplay but now he just found himself begging for them to get on with it. He slipped his cock back out the fly of his boxers. If Kuroto wasn't going to see to it, he sure as hell would. Kuroto quickly glanced up to see and he could tell he was smiling down there. His cock rubbed against Kuroto's hair as he started stroking himself. He just kept on his task, paying no mind to Emu jacking off into his hair. The wetness from it was starting to rub off onto his hair too. Maybe Kuroto felt like returning to work with a fan's cum all over his face and in his hair.

A kiss was finally placed on Emu's tight balls. Kuroto nuzzled his nose into the heavy pulsing vein of his cock. Lightning-fast touches of his lips and tongue, gone without a chance to savour them. Kuroto was a dirty tease. Acting as if he'd won. He barely had to do anything and younger men would be jacking off begging for his attention. Emu hated losing like this. If they were going to be doing this, Kuroto would be reciprocating. Emu roughly grabbed a handful of the silky black hair and forcibly guided him onto his cock. Kuroto didn't offer up much resistance, tongue coming out ahead of his mouth to welcome him in. Emu could lose it at the feeling of his hot breath on him. 

He couldn't say Kuroto was better or worse than Parad but it felt amazing. There was no denying that. And Kuroto was new and exciting and not just his same old. It was as if he'd been craving this for forever. Something different? Or just Kuroto? The man was doing wonders for him, maybe it was always meant to be like this. Gamer and game developer. He was constantly feeling close, but not yet cumming. Kept on the edge of bliss for eternity.

As his fingers relaxed in Kuroto's hair, Kuroto took the time to slowly pull off with the most delicious drag. He crawled up to Emu's face, bringing his nose to touch his, and his hands to mess with Emu's hair just a bit more, curling it among them.

"How far are we going to take this?"


	3. Spinning a long long tale

Emu didn't know when Kuroto left. He'd fallen asleep in the sweet afterglow from the many hours they spent together. Falling asleep so soundly in those arms. Bliss on Earth, the sweetest memory he would ever hold. How gently he must have moved to leave without disturbing him. Parad was never so kind. He lacked grace. He always woke Emu the second he himself woke up with how fidgety he got and trying to get out of bed, disturbing him horribly every single time without fail. Emu spent so many mornings whining at him for it, it felt a relief to spend a night with someone and not have to say the same things over and over again.

Though they may not have spent the night together, today Parad would ruin his slumber by excessively ringing the doorbell, startling him awake. Abruptly removing him from sweet dreams of Kuroto's love, from a life they could live if only they were to meet again. Maybe someday in the backroom of a competition, they'd be able to rekindle this.

Emu dragged himself out of bed, cursing under his breath. Couldn't he just be allowed some sleep on his day off? Just once be allowed some actual rest? Was it too much to ask? He grabbed some clothes off the floor, putting them on while shouting at the door to wait a second. Honestly, he'd kill the battery if he kept ringing it like that. The keys were still where he left them, so the door was probably unlocked. He was a bit amazed Parad hadn't just barged straight on in. Maybe shouting at him about that had finally set in after some heated arguments from lost games.

Emu opened the door for him.

"Hey, Emu! I was starting to worry after you hung up on me! Then you weren't answering your phone, so I figured I should just come see you. What happened?" Parad had that same eager smile he always had and it made Emu feel sick to his stomach. The extreme guilt setting deep within him. The smiling face of a man who didn't know he'd be betrayed.

"Sorry, I had to speak to the delivery man then fell back asleep, I just woke up now," Now that he was facing him, he started to realise what he'd done. Who he'd betrayed. The extent of what he did. Yet, now he'd lie. Lie and try to hide his crime. The truth would only hurt. You can't open the door to your boyfriend and start with 'Hey I just finished having sex with another man behind your back and it was really good, he's way more skilled than you and honestly given the chance I'd dump you and fuck him every day'.

"Ah, well guess that's why you've copied my hair." Emu instinctively reached up and started trying to flatten it down. God, Kuroto had been playing with his hair so much it probably looked a mess. He hadn't been able to keep his hands out of it like he was obsessed with it.

"Are you gonna let me in?" Emu froze stiff in the doorway he'd instinctively been blocking. Parad couldn't come in. He knew that. If he came in he'd know. He'd find out. The truth would come out and it would be the end of them.  
"Now's not a good time, I haven't-" A look suddenly took Parad's face, the instant realisation that Emu was hiding something from him. Emu tried to hold fast to the door frame to prevent him from getting by but Parad barely took notice, pushing him out the way with ease to get in. He had to do something.

"I-I haven't cleaned yet," When had that ever stopped him before, what was he doing. "If you want you can turn a game on I'll get us some juice." 

But Parad ignored him. He seemed as though he hadn't heard the words as he continued on in and stopped just short of the bed. Emu followed behind him as fast as he could, not knowing himself what to expect. What fatal giveaway would tip him off? The mess of the sheets? The smell in the air? A love note from Kuroto detailing where to meet him again so that they could elope?

Or a single gashat on his pillow. 

Crisp and new and signed. 

Emu held back his relief to stop it giving him away. He can explain that. He was saved.

"Sorry, after I got it from the delivery guy I was still so tired I just went back to bed and fell back asleep instantly. I didn't even take the time to put it down."  
But Parad said nothing. Was this it? Could Parad see through his lies so easily? Maybe he already knew, maybe he'd met Kuroto on the stairs and Kuroto had flaunted how he'd just been screwing his boyfriend for hours. Showed him that he'd actually taken a video of the way Emu moaned around his cock. The niceties at the door just a simple attempt at believing it wasn't true, that the entire thing was faked by a rich game developer to show off the capabilities of their new engine. 

Emu looked up to see his expression.

He wasn't looking at the bed.

He was looking at his feet.

Emu followed his gaze and saw it.

Kuroto's suit against Parad's shoes.

"Emu,"  
"Yeah…"  
"You don't wear suits."  
"...I do sometimes."

Parad picked it up off the floor.  
"I got a mighty action tie so I bought a suit and tried it on and-" Emu continued trying to explain his way out of the situation but Parad only seemed to be part-listening. He held the suit up to Emu.  
"Isn't it a bit long for you?" Emu stopped.  
"I ordered the wrong size…" Parad didn't show any reaction to the answer but brought the suit closer to himself, examining the lapel.  
"Where'd you get this y2k pin? And the genm corp one?"

Emu hung his head. Yeah, he'd got him.

"This is Dan Kuroto's suit, isn't it? He wore it at the last event. I had been trying to buy the Mighty tie for months after seeing him wear it. I even wrote to him asking to at least make it a limited release so that I could get one. He sent me the mighty brothers one as a bonus for my support." 

Emu stayed silent. He couldn't bring himself to say anything. 

What was he meant to feel? Shame? Regret? Anger? At himself? At Parad? It wasn't Parad's fault, but he wished it was. Wished he could blame Parad for not being enough, for not being what Kuroto was. But couldn't he just blame him anyway? Wasn't that better than blaming himself? Better than being the one at fault? Wouldn't it be easier for him to just put the blame on someone else? To live in the belief that there was no other way? That he was always going to have to go behind Parad's back and fuck Kuroto? He heard a sniffle and looked up.

Parad was crying. Properly crying. Large tears and snot. He looked broken. Like he would never be able to put himself back together again. He looked awful. So awful it hurt Emu's heart. What was he thinking to blame him for this? Was he really so heartless? He'd really done this to him. Betrayed him in an instant because Dan Kuroto was at his door. Hung up the phone and let Kuroto in. They'd been so close yet he didn't hesitate. He'd wanted Kuroto more than anything, far more than he wanted to keep a proper relationship with Parad. At that moment, he'd been so ready to throw him away, regardless of what he got in return. Now, he was faced with the consequences of that decision, and the choice wasn't so easy to stick by. He could hear Parad sniffling. The horrible heartbroken croak in his throat.

But then there was a shift.

Suddenly Parad was moving, crouched over the bed, clutching that damned suit in his hands.  
"What does he have!" He was screaming in anger but that croak was still in his throat, the pain still clear. "What does he have that's so..."  
The words were dying in his mouth even with how angry he was. Parad had never been the best at expression. He felt things, felt them so intensely, but didn't know how to deal with them, or how to express them properly. He screamed, grip tightening on it.

And then he was pulling on it, trying to rip it apart. Emu could hear the threads snapping and it took him a minute to realise. Parad was trying to rip it apart. The solid evidence of the crimes Emu had committed. His hands shaking as he tried to destroy it. Shaking so much. All the power going into them but just seeming to dissipate at this fingertips.

After the first few threads snapping, not even visible, impossible for the naked eye to notice, all his strength was gone and Parad's anger had no effect on the garment.

He was sobbing so horribly with anger. The frustration of not being able to do anything. His own helplessness.

Emu felt frozen in place. Watching how horribly broken Parad was in that moment.

"What does he have that I don't?" It was barely a whisper now. His voice sounded rough. Worn out from the emotional high.

Emu didn't have words to answer him. He'd been selfish. That was all. What justification was there for this.

Parad dropped the suit, defeated in his quest to destroy it. He stood up, clearly trying to steady his breathing as the tears kept falling. Still hiccuping. He turned to Emu. A giant, built out of sorrow, looming over him. Fear filled his body, even though he knew Parad would never hurt him. Fear wasn't rational, however, and now he felt trapped.

"What did he have that I couldn't give you, Emu?" Parad asked again. Emu wanted to cry. Wanted to burst into tears. Wanted to not exist. To be out of this situation by any means. Fight or flight battling within his brain. Could he run now? Could he stand his ground? He felt cornered. Desperate to bite back or disappear completely.

Parad's massive hands grabbed his shoulders. Grip fierce on them. He felt as if they could snap his shoulders with ease. Not with the physical pressure but the emotional weight. How it felt on his shoulders. He could feel the tears welling up in his own eyes.

"Emu!" Parad shouted. His grip tightened and he shook him. Emu barely felt there. He felt distant. His mouth wasn't his own anymore. He was no longer someone who could take this. The situation was beyond his control. There wasn't an escape. There was no way for him to fight back. He didn't feel real anymore.

He wanted to sleep.

To sleep...

That gave him an idea. A light to freedom from this situation. At least for a time. If he wasn't awake; he wouldn't have to face this yet. He could put it off and work it out later and they could do this when Parad wasn't so angry. He could take some time and work it out.

This was his way out.

At least for now.

He slackened his shoulders, letting them take the weight of Parad grip. Letting them be pushed down, letting his arms go limp. Then trying to let his legs follow, to become more wobbly on his feet. He stumbled back a bit, lightly knocking himself on a couple of things as he did.

Parad let go and he closed his eyes and fell. Let himself become limp. To lose control of his body for a moment.

Then there was a splitting pain against the back of his head and he really did feel weak.

He hit the floor feeling horribly dizzy as if his brain had been knocked out of place in his skull. What had happened? What had hit him? He could barely remember what was in his apartment for him to have hit. His skull felt as if he was rattling within it.

Parad's hand was in his. The heat of it gave him something to bring him back, something to focus on. The calloused hand in his. Parad's arm wrapped around his back, trying to sit him back up, but having to gently hold him. A gentle loving embrace.

"I'm sorry... Parad..." Emu choked out, the task at hand returning to him. "I'm sorry... I didn't tell you..."  
Parad's grip tightened and Emu could barely make him out now.  
"I don't think... I have long now, Parad. That's why I..." but now the words failed him. He really was struggling to keep awake now. Sleep was even more enticing than he'd intended for it to be. 

He could feel himself growing limp in Parad's arms as the world went dark, and Parad screamed his name.


	4. A Long Long Talk

"Ah, so you're finally awake."

Emu's eyes suffered under the harsh lights. Where on earth was he? He was lying down on something cold and hard. He felt the strong chill all over his body. He could feel the burning smell of disinfectant in his nostrils. Who had spoken to him then? It sounded like...

"Kiriya?" He turned towards where the voice had come from but his eyes were still blurred from the light. He tried desperately to shield then from more damage and blinked to clear them up.

"Congratulations Ace, you died. I got your death certificate right here," It was definitely Kiriya's voice. He could just make out the papers in his hand that he was trying to show off.  
"But I'm not dead."  
"Yeah, you might want to sue the hospital for medical incompetence after this. Then again it's not their fault Parad got Doctor Kagami instead of the ambulance, who is quite notably a surgeon, not a paramedic, and he just walked in and went 'guess he's dead, take him to the morgue boys'!"

Emu couldn't even hope to process any of what Kiriya just told him so soon after waking up. His head was still so foggy. He tried to sit up, but could feel the immense weight of himself weighing him down.

"Careful, Ace, you did take a pretty nasty bump to your head on the way down. You hit yourself on the table, so you're probably still going to need a proper look at now that you're less easy to pass off as a stiff."

Despite it, he got himself upright and could finally start to make out things around him. Starting with the reason he was so cold.

"Why am I naked?"  
"Clothes typically make it difficult to perform an autopsy, so we have to strip our patients before we work."  
"Is this place flooded?"  
"Yeah, I did that."  
"Why?"

Kiriya shrugged and grabbed a sheet for him to cover himself with.  
"Just be careful while you're walking, you're better off leaning on me," Kiriya put out his hand and Emu took it instantly. His arm was pulled over Kiriya's shoulder, forcing him off the autopsy table. The place really was flooded. The freezing water was up to his ankles and the tiles below them were even colder. Emu looked at his feet, feeling as though all reality was held in the cold of that water. That and Kiriya's shoes that were completely submerged. Why on earth did he work in these conditions?  
"Seriously, careful you don't slip, I don't want to actually have to do your autopsy." 

Kiriya led him out and into the office, putting him down on someone's chair before heading to grab some stuff.  
"We get flooded pretty often," Kiriya explained as he gave him a towel along with the clothes he'd been wearing when he went down.  
"Thanks."  
"I almost asked Parad to bring you a proper change of clothes but I didn't want to confuse the poor kid."

He dried off his feet and legs before sliding his boxers on under the sheet. He didn't want to think about what exactly Kiriya had seen while prepping him for an autopsy. What kind of hospital had you prepped for autopsy before checking if you were actually dead? He got the rest of his clothes on, feeling somewhat disgusted by them but he was glad Kiriya hadn't got Parad. Being unconscious hadn't offered many solutions for the part where he woke up at the end.

Kiriya poured some coffee over his mug of milk and sugar slurry and poured the rest from the cafetière into another mug for Emu. Emu took it, muttering a thank you before taking the first sip.

"So, what was the cause of your untimely death?"  
Emu stayed silent.  
"Come on, Ace, it's either you tell me or I have to perform the autopsy to find out."  
Honestly, the autopsy sounded like the better option than walking out of here.  
"It's a long story."  
"Well I've got a while till my next patient, and I'm sure she won't mind waiting a bit."

He turned the coffee mug in his hands, taking a sip as he considered. Kiriya didn't make the best coffee. It was better than Parad's but...

His heart felt heavy.

"I cheated on Parad."  
Kiriya stared at him for a minute. Swallowing nervously a couple of times before he spoke.  
"Did it... get physical?"  
"No, nothing like that," Emu took another sip. Kiriya hadn't mentioned how long he'd been out. What had happened in that time? Had Kuroto tried to contact him? "He was upset but he was pretty much just crying."  
"Then how did you end up hitting your head?"

He went silent again. This was awful. He knew Kiriya was just asking as a friend. He was trying to look out for him. Yet, it felt like an interrogation. Like the police were on the other side. Listening in. Waiting for him to confess. Confess what kind of person he really was.  
"I tried to pretend to faint so he'd just think I hadn't taken my iron tablets or something. I didn't realise there was something behind me."

Kiriya was silent, occasionally sipping the slurry from the mug. He took a minute. Thinking intensely.  
"So Parad found out you were cheating. Got upset. And you decided to fake fainting to get out of the situation?"  
Emu nodded.  
"Hey Ace, just a quick question; What the fuck?"

Emu near slammed his mug down as he stood up, barely holding back his annoyance.  
"Was it that bad? What was I meant to do? He was just... crying. Like how was I meant to deal with that?" He was rapidly getting worse at holding it back.  
"Chill, Ace-"  
"What was I going to tell him? That I didn't love him? That I found a guy who fucked me so hard I forgot he existed for a few hours? It's his fault for not being a better boyfriend? That it took screwing another guy to realise all that?" Emu hated how his mouth was running. He didn't want to talk about this. He didn't like the way Kiriya could just get his mouth running. Make him spill his heart so fully.  
"Just calm down and tell me what happened with this guy."

He couldn't bring himself to sit back down, it would be like giving in.  
"I just... He was the kind of guy I'd admired for so long. Like my entire life was shaped by him. And it was one thing meeting him at events. At places he had to be. Then I was at the arcade with Parad. Parad was being Parad. He was obsessed with a game. Like, sure it's how I'd rather spend my dates, but he just fixates on one game and beating me and I wanted..."  
"A change."  
"Yeah... I happened to see him across the room and I couldn't believe it like... There was no reason he had to be in the same arcade as me. No reason our eyes had to meet across the room. It just," Emu was weirded out by what a sap he was being. He wasn't usually like this. He hated spilling his guts so much. "It felt like something was bringing us together."

"So you hit on him while on a date with Parad?"  
Emu shook his head.  
"Parad got in the way. I kind of thought it would be the end of it but then. Parad ordered me a gift and there he was. He was the courier bringing it to me and I couldn't believe it was real. That he was really there. Seeing him there I thought... maybe it's meant to be."

"So you fucked him."  
"Yeah. Pretty much."  
Kiriya spun his chair, mulling it over.

"I don't like judging you Emu, but you really are in deep shit. You really gotta think this over like, do you want to stay with Parad? It's not gonna be easy when you already destroyed his trust in you."

Did he want to stay with Parad? It was a pretty blaring question now. Did he actually want to stay with him? He guessed he did but did he actually or was he just feeling guilty and wanted that to be enough to make Parad happy? Maybe he did, after all, Parad understood him well. He understood his preferred ways to spend dates and shared them. They were alike and it had made a lot of things easy in their relationship.

But did he want easy? Did he want the same? Didn't he want a more dynamic relationship? Something more… challenging. Something interesting. Something to bring him some spice to his life in between university and the gaming tournaments. Imagine standing in the crowd knowing the CEO on stage was his own boyfriend. That he'd let him rail him ten minutes before taking the stage.

Kiriya could recognise the uncertainty as he thought about it. He seemed to recognise how it had got Emu stuck thinking. In a possible attempt to move him on from it, he changed the subject.  
"So who is this guy anyway? You made him sound like he was pretty famous."

Emu choked. What was he meant to tell him.

"He's a game developer, you probably wouldn't-"  
"Emu, I know quite a bit about video games."

Yes, Kiriya, that would be the issue here. You know video games and that means you know this man. There's no way to not know him. Least if you're keeping up with the Japanese gaming scene and VR development.  
Then again, maybe realising what a chance this was, what a score he was, how amazingly famous Dan was, maybe that would justify it.

"It was Dan."  
There was a pause and Kiriya gave him a weird look.  
"Senior or junior?"  
"Junior, I think senior is still in jail."

Kiriya thought about it for a second before giving him a very confused look of utter disbelief at what he was hearing.  
"So you're telling me, Dan Kuroto, of Genm Corp, arrived at your front door as your personal courier. So you fucked him."  
"Yes."

Kiriya looked at him, seeming to be holding his breath while he processed what he was hearing.  
"You're not fucking with me?"  
Emu shook his head.

Kiriya spun his chair around so he wasn't facing him anymore, hiding his face from Emu. Emu could feel a tightness in his chest, suffering under the feeling of Kiriya judging him so hard. He'd really wanted him to understand. To be his company through this time. The easy shoulder for him to cry on.

He watched Kiriya intently, waiting for him to say something. To turn round and face him. Kiriya reached between the desks to grab a board and took something out his desk drawer. He heard him take a deep breath and wait a minute before finally getting up and turning around to face him. He sat down beside him, placing the board down on the table, revealing that it was a whiteboard filled with notes for a case. Most of it didn't seem relevant to what was going on unless this was a description of what would soon be Emu.

Kiriya gestured at him to sit down and he did so without question. Kiriya wiped the board clean with his forearm before he started drawing on it with the marker.  
"So, I'm guessing you don't know this, but I actually know Dan Kuroto pretty well," Kiriya explained as he drew what was slowly shaping out to be a rather crude drawing of Kuroto. Emu was surprised to hear it though, and it filled him with many burning questions. How did they know each other? Had they dated? Did he know first hand how amazing Kuroto was in bed? Or had they been friends? Had they grown up together? Were they still friends? Was he Kuroto's current boyfriend that Emu had never heard about and he'd just outed him for cheating?

"There's one thing I can tell you about Dan Kuroto, Ace," Kiriya finished up his drawing, adding a couple of sparkles for flare, and held up the finished product to let Emu see it. "And that's that he's a bastard."  
"What-"  
"Please save all questions till the end, I'm not done here. Kuroto is a piece of shit bastard man. He has no plans to be your boyfriend. He's probably forgotten you already. There is zero doubt in my mind that he was using you for some bullshit. Maybe he did rock your world, Ace. Maybe he was the best dick you will ever get. But at the end of the day, Ace, he ain't gonna be there when you need him. He isn't gonna pay child support. He doesn't even pay his taxes. You can't rely on him for anything. I'm gonna tell you this, Ace. Parad might not have the best technique in the world but at least he's wanting to stick by you. You cheated on him and he still got Hiiro. Sure, he didn't get an ambulance but he did his best for you. So you can either try and patch shit up with him, or go single because Dan Kuroto sure as Hell isn't on the menu."

A clock on one of the desks ticked incessantly through the silence between them. Emu felt like he'd had an awful shock of reality. He'd been snapped from his dream of fate and destiny and true love. Kiriya's words were a shock to his system. He couldn't defend Kuroto. What did he know about him really? What did he have that could disprove what Kiriya said about him?

His heart was broken in his chest and he could feel some unwanted tears rolling down his face.  
"You're right. I did that to Parad and it was just... nothing to him," Emu could feel the lump in his throat and he hated it. He hated feeling like this.  
"Ace. I don't know if Parad's going to take you back after this. The only way to find out is to face him now and have a grown-up talk with him about what you both want going forward. Even if that means breaking up. But you can't just play dead."

He wiped the tears from his face, trying to sort himself out as he nodded. He had to face this. He had to be an adult about this.

It was time to face Parad properly.

He stood up and headed for the door but stopped in his tracks.  
"Kiriya, can you phone Parad to give me a lift? I don't think I can take the bus looking like this."  
"I'll call him, you head over to the waiting room."

Emu nodded and made to leave, but one thing still bothered him, stopping him from leaving just yet.  
"How do you know Kuroto?"  
Kiriya gulped the rest of the coffee flavoured slurry from his mug.  
"There are more things in Heaven and Earth, Horatio."

* * *

Parad agreed to pick him up and met him in the lobby, immediately crushing him in his arms while crying into his shoulder. He hadn't brought a change of clothes. He hadn't thought. Just been so excited to hear Emu was alive and waiting for him that he'd got there as fast as he possibly could.

It hurt.

They were silent the whole way home. He could tell Parad wanted to talk but was caught between joy at Emu being alive and the pain of what had brought them to this situation.

Emu didn't dare start the conversation.

They headed into his apartment and it felt alien. The suit was gone. He didn't dare ask. It felt like he'd been gone so long it was only natural some things he remembered would no longer be there. He sat at the table as Parad got them coffee. Maybe he should have stayed at the hospital and got a once over. This didn't feel real in the slightest.

When Parad sat across from him, a pale cup of coffee placed before each of them, Parad really did only know how to make it for himself, he knew he had to say something. To address the elephant in the room. 

"Parad, I-"  
"It's fine," Parad cut him off before he could really say anything. "I... I'm fine as long as you don't do it again, right? I just..."  
How his voice shook. The fear that filled Parad, the absolute dread, and how it consumed him so badly that anyone could see it.  
"I thought you were dead for a while and I realised that I just. I don't want to be without you, Emu. I was so scared that was going to be it. I just... I want to put this behind us and we can move on ok?"

It felt wrong.  
"But don't you-"  
"Let's just not talk about it. We can forget about it. We can play a game. Anyone you want. Just... let's not talk about this anymore."

It felt wrong and yet.  
Emu agreed.  
Because this was easier.


	5. Long Long Road to Recovery

Parad was serious about forgetting. He never brought it up. Never let Emu talk about it. It was as if it never happened. They were forced to forget it through it remaining unspoken. Something that would never be relevant again. Kiriya was the only one who knew about it so no one brought it up. They could keep pretending it never happened, and they were the perfect couple.

The perfect couple.

It weighed on him now. People would so often praise them about what a good couple they were and it used to be he barely processed it. Now, it weighed him down every time. The things they didn't know. They just saw two people who had similar energies, and wants, and they believed to be in sync. Parad was so loving and sweet. When they heard how long they'd been together, they thought they were the model couple. What all couples should be.

Emu always let them believe it.

But he wanted to work it out properly. He wanted to talk it out. To fix it. To get it off his chest properly and not just have Parad ignore it. What were they meant to do if they just kept it bottled up between them? How were they meant to keep moving forward like this?

The gashat stayed in a drawer of the TV stand.  
There were nights when Emu was alone and he'd just look at it and examine the signature. It felt like the only proof that anything had happened between them. Everything else was gone, and his memory of it would slowly fade with time. It felt like so much. All he had to hold Kuroto by, his only proof of one of the best fucks he'd had.

It was on one such night. Many months after he'd been with Kuroto. A storm was brewing outside. The wind and rain battering the window, and the room only dully lit so that when lightning struck it illuminated the room. Emu couldn't be bothered to turn on more lights as he sat on the bed, holding the gashat.

Dan Kuroto.

Would they see each other soon? Would he know him? Was Kiriya right? Would he have forgotten him as just another one night stand? Was he that forgettable in a way that Kuroto could never be?

He brought the gashat to his lips.

A knock at the door stopped him, making him instantly drop it.

"I'm coming in!" The doorknob turned and Parad entered, wearing his favourite Dragon Knight waterproof. He'd been so happy when he won it in a Genm giveaway but now it was well worn and dripping the rain all across the entryway. Emu watched him take his shoes off and hang the jacket up, using that moment of distraction to kick the gashat under the bed.

"I didn't think you were coming tonight."  
"I thought we could spend the night together then head to the tournament together in the morning! I brought dinner."  
Parad was inviting himself over more and more often. He always brought takeaway with him and Emu was getting sick of it. It would be nice to cook something themselves but Parad didn't care to learn. They plated it together and sat down to eat on the floor. Just nice and casual. A meal between boyfriends.

"Have you got lots of practice in for tomorrow?" Emu nodded, shoving some more food in his mouth to avoid actually having to speak. "You think you've got enough to beat me?"  
"You'd have to make it past the first round for me to have to worry about that." Parad's face screwed up. They'd both qualified for tournaments in the past but it was rare they ever ended up against each other. It had happened but far less than Parad would like, so Emu would tease him. He always seemed to be dreaming of having a dramatic finale match where they'd be able to face each other and he could finally prove he was the superior gamer. The childishness of it used to make Emu laugh, but now he'd grown tired of it. He kept up the teasing, but only for the sake of maintaining whatever it was they were trying so desperately hard to maintain.

"How about a few practice rounds ahead of tomorrow? A little practice after dinner should be good for us."  
"Nah, not before a tournament. It's bad luck, like seeing a bride's wedding dress before the wedding." Emu took another bite, but he noticed how still Parad had gone. Shit. He didn't need him kicking off tonight, especially over a couple of rounds. "Hey, eat your dinner and we can do something else instead."  
It was best to just move him along and distract him with something else before he had a chance. Parad was rarely kicking off nowadays, but little things seemed to be constantly verging him closer to the edge and it would only be a matter of time till he broke.

Luckily, the promise seemed to have lit something up within Parad and he near enough just swallowed the plates. Emu couldn't match the pace at all and was left eating while Parad flicked through his phone. Still, he watched Parad as he ate, not wanting to break the silence between them.

And now, he had so many regrets.

He hated what he'd done to this relationship, that this was now what it was. That he'd rather they were sitting in silence than trying to avoid walking on eggshells through a conversation. Even though Parad hadn't done anything. He hadn't said anything. It was buried. He was the one afraid. He was the one truly on the verge of kicking off. Didn't Parad deserve better than that? Wasn't it only right that he made it up to him properly? Properly fixed what he'd ruined between them.

He finished eating and gently put his chopsticks down, silently to avoid disturbing Parad. He crawled around the table and sat down at Parad's side, placing his head on Parad's shoulder. Parad stopped mid text and looked at him. This was his chance. He kissed him, holding his face as tenderly as he could.

Parad loved him.

That's what mattered.

Parad kissed him back so passionately like he wanted to steal all the oxygen from Emu's lung, leaving him to suffocate from his love. What a cruel punishment that would be. Cruel but maybe fitting. Emu gave as much back and climbed onto Parad's lap when the phone was dropped. He could tell Parad was smiling against his lips. Another cute habit of his. One of the reasons he'd fallen in love with him once. Wasn't this nice. Wasn't this what he should want.

After all this time, he knew Parad's weak spots perfectly. Knew how he liked having as much contact as possible. How he leaned into Emu's touch under his shirt. He liked feeling Emu grind against him. This was what Parad wanted. He had to pull away for a second, desperately trying to catch his breath. Parad took it as the perfect opportunity to stand up and pick Emu up to take with him.

Wasn't it only right that he loved Parad and that Parad loved him? That they'd makeout and spend the night together as a couple? Wasn't this how he was meant to make it all up to him?

Even if it wasn't the same. Even if Parad hard inside him didn't make him feel good anymore. Even if it seemed like despite knowing them, despite in theory playing all his weak points correctly, Emu didn't respond to them. That didn't mean anything. It was just a bad night probably. He mustn't be feeling as sensitive. It was no reflection of them. They had to be perfect. Someday, if they kept doing this, he'd probably reach that point where having Parad inside him was what he wanted and he'd love it. He'd love him. Parad's sloppy kisses and his quaking hips. The way he talked constantly through sex, just constant sweet words of love. He'd love it because he loved him.

Until then, he just had to work his way up to it. Work their way through this rough patch together.

For tonight, they'd eventually give up on getting Emu off and he'd remain as soft as when they started.

* * *

Parad left early in the morning, waking Emu on his way out as he always did. They kissed at the door and said they loved each other. Parad had to get home and changed before the tournament, get into his preferred gaming outfit. He always dressed for tournaments like the polar opposite of Emu. Emu had his shirt and blazer hung up ready to go from the night before, allowing him to get a lie-in. Allowing him to lie back down, and feel the empty space in the bed where Parad had been.

It felt strange without him now. Like something truly was missing. His warmth through the night.

'Maybe I'm finally back on the right track,' he thought, as he drifted back to sleep.

He was woken up again by texts from Parad and Nico telling him they were getting checked in already, finally prompting him to get up and ready. He took a taxi over to the centre, still making it in plenty of time. Parad and Nico were just the types that liked to get in early to flex on the competition. For a reigning champion, however, it was fine even if he was the last to arrive and he'd walk in to dash the hopes of everyone who almost believed they were getting off easy in this tournament. He was never the type to forfeit.

"M!" Nico shouted across the green room when she saw him at the door and ushered him over.  
"I thought you didn't care for talking to the enemy before a tournament?"  
"I don't but did you hear?" Emu blinked at her, giving her a suitably blank expression to answer her question.

"Dan Kuroto isn't hosting the tournament. They got that sleazy bastard Amagasaki hosting it. He was hitting on some of the presentation girls when I was checking in."  
"Does it matter? He's just hosting it, it's not like he really does anything." Nico rolled her eyes groaning and pushed past him, stomping away but stopped to shout back at him.  
"Even if it is presented by that bastard, I'm still taking that title!"

Emu rolled his eyes back at her. Well, he wasn't exactly a fan of Amagasaki either but... it was better than seeing Dan Kuroto now. Better than having to shake his hand at the end of this. If he was starting to get things properly sorted between him and Parad, the last thing he needed was another encounter with Dan Kuroto. He wondered if they did see each other, would he be swooning all over again.

It was definitely better they didn't see each other now.

"Hojo! How are you? Ready for the tournament?" Amagasaki himself interrupted Emu's train of thought. He had his hand out and Emu shook it confidently.  
"Always, I'll be sure to take the title back with me."  
Amagasaki laughed.  
"Fantastic! I just need you to know we have a little something planned for you at the end, so whenever your last chance on stage is, don't walk off immediately."

Emu wasn't given a chance to respond before Amagasaki was off laughing, introducing himself to the other gamers. He tried to steady his heart in his chest. Kuroto wasn't here. It couldn't be anything Kuroto related. Unless Kuroto's absence was part of whatever this was…

Emu snapped himself back out of it. It wasn't a good business decision for Kuroto to do… something on stage with the champion he fucked that one time. No matter what kind of surprise it was, it wouldn't make any sense.

He sighed and took a seat. This was just going to be an awful say of panicking about running into Kuroto, wasn't it? It probably would have been a bit easier to get through this with Parad at his side but he was nowhere to be seen. Emu rechecked his messages, he'd definitely mentioned having checked in. The matchup table showed him. There was no doubt he had to be here somewhere but he just couldn't see him.

Still the memory of last night. It hadn't been the best sex, hell it hadn't even been decent sex, but it helped remind him of them. Them as a couple. Them together. He could hold onto that, the idea of what should be. Where he'd be again tonight. His thoughts were trapped so heavily in a loop of guilt and trying to push himself back to Parad, it was all that ever seemed to be circling through his head. Here he should be, focusing on this tournament, but still, it was plaguing him. These small fries weren't going to be any trouble for him, but still. This was meant to break his mind away from the situation even if it did just happen to be slap bang in the middle of it. It should be his escape. Gaming had always been his escape from everything so why did it have to be so entangled in this situation?

The rounds went by with ease, such ease that they didn't break his mind away from the ongoing situation. Hell, sometimes when up on the stage he could swear he saw Kuroto in the crowd. It was just wishful thinking. He just wanted to be validated by him. His brain just wanted to make-believe like he would be watching when he'd already called in someone to do his job for him. Emu walked away from each round none the wiser as to who he had been up against, and by the time the next one came he couldn't remember who the last had mained.

By the time they were getting to the actual meat of the tournament, he was just stuck wishing he could go home. He didn't want to be here anymore. Maybe he wouldn't game anymore, and this would be where he finally gives up his title. It wasn't like he had any other hobbies though to fill his time or take his mind off it otherwise. He could hardly spend all his time fucking Parad in hopes of it overriding the memory.

But this was it. This was the part of the tournament he had to be taking seriously. He knew most his potential opponents from previous tournaments, and knew how to counter them. He needed to prepare himself. They had a list of the next set of matchups for them being updated as the matches came in that Emu could check. He ran his finger down the matchups looking for himself.

If he was there then the match for him was...

He double-checked. Yep. That was his match.

Well, he couldn't complain. Facing Parad wasn't exactly going to be a challenge. They'd competed against each other enough times that he had beat him with his eyes closed. Just to show off. Parad may have been a challenge for other players here but they hadn't spent far too many all-nighters on best of two-thousands because Parad couldn't just accept his loss. He was predictable, completely formulaic in how he played, and it wasn't hard for Emu to intercept him.

Emu never cared to go easy in a tournament.

One of the crew came over and told him it was time for his match, gesturing for him to head for the stage. He walked on, meeting Amagasaki at the side. Amagasaki simply smiled and winked in the way he seemed to be fond of, and headed on to the centre stage to introduce them for the round.

Amagasaki was an excellent hype man. Even though he was massively unpopular with most the gamers backstage, it was primarily for not being Kuroto or that they were creeped out by him. Regardless, he worked the crowd excellently. Kuroto was great but he didn't bring the kind of engagement from the crowd until the finals.

Still, after hearing him throughout this, Emu was tuning him out now. Looking directly across the stage, he could see Parad's tall figure looming in the dark of the other side. His suit made him a lot bulkier than usual, making him appear even more intimidating in the dull light.

"PARA! D! X!" Amagasaki announced, gesturing Parad into the light. The crowd were cheering him as he joyfully waved for them. Amagasaki was still talking but the crowd probably weren't listening as their main event was finally taking the stage.

"M!" Amagasaki called him forward and Emu took his confident step onto the stage, locking eyes with Parad as he entered. He stopped halfway to him and turned to the crowd, waving and bowing them as they cheered, thanking them for their support. The crowd were deafening for their reigning champion and he could feel Parad's jealousy from where he stood. He skipped the rest of the way, making a show of his confidence to win this match. 

They stood together on either side of Amagasaki and bowed together for the crowd, before reaching across him to shake hands. Emu wished he could say something to him then. Usually, his presence and handshake were enough to intimidate an opponent, but Parad was naturally different. Boyfriend versus boyfriend on the big stage again. He knew he'd have to check twitter when they went backstage to hear the public reaction to the match.

They took their seats, controllers in hand.

Then it happened again. Emu could have sworn he saw him in the crowd.

By the time he snapped back, the match had started and he was a second late to starting, giving Parad the upper hand. He had to recover quickly, using all the openings he'd grown accustomed to exploiting in Parad's style.

In the end, he just barely scraped the win of the first round. Far from his best performance but he almost felt a fool for worrying. He was far more a fool for letting himself be distracted. Repeating this over and over again, maybe the audience would take it as him trying to lull his opponents into a false sense of hope that they could beat him before he landed the perfect knockout.

But then the next round started and it happened again.

Except this time it was no false alarm.

Kuroto stood at the front of the crowd, eyes fixed on them. Emu could swear he wasn't even looking at the screen, he was just watching them. No one was paying him much mind, but it wasn't like he was particularly well disguised.

He was just standing there.  
Watching him play.

Emu lost the round as he remained transfixed. He barely cared as Parad worked the crowd. Kuroto was watching him intently though. Was he jealous? Had he done his research and learned that they were dating? Could he see the jealousy brewing in his eyes, Kuroto wishing to steal him from Parad and have him all to himself?

"M, don't throw the next round," Parad whispered across to him harshly. "This is a serious match, I can beat you properly."  
Emu snapped back to himself.  
"I'm not throwing, I…," he thought better of telling him. "I'm just giving the crowd something to work with."  
Parad seemed annoyed by the idea of Emu going easy on him but that would be just a wave of passing anger.

If Kuroto was watching him now, he needed to prove himself. He couldn't go getting lost. Only a true genius gamer would be worthy of Kuroto's grace. He would be the one to prove himself here. No more getting distracted. Emu put his headphones over his ears to cancel out the noise of his audience, giving Parad a confident smile.

He was laser-focused now. He could do this. He could prove himself here. There was nothing Parad could throw at him now that he couldn't counter.

Or at least so he thought.

Parad completely blindsided him, leaving him stunned. Every chance he took to recover, Parad came back stronger.

In the end, it was Parad's win.

Best of three, and Parad had come out on top twice.

It took him a minute to fully process. He hadn't made it to the finals for defending his title, he'd gone down against Parad. Parad of all people. The person he should know how to deal with best.

The crowd were cheering for Parad and Parad was living for it. He grabbed Emu's hand and dragged him to his feet. Emu followed him, still too shocked to react properly.

"M!" Parad was shouting to be heard over the crowd, but it was enough to snap him out of his daze. Parad was panting in his excitement but he stopped and turned tot he crowd. He gestured at them and amazingly they quieted down. Parad was holding both his hands tight.  
"Mr Amagasaki, can I borrow your mic?" Parad asked him and Amagasaki very quickly clipped it on for him, allowing his voice to be projected for everyone to hear.

A hand let go of one of Emu's.  
"M," Emu still didn't know what was going on. "Will you marry me?"

There was a ring in his hand now. Sparkling in the stage lights. A clear seafoam jewel and an orange one. He recognised it. It was the limited anniversary wedding ring for Mighty Brothers. He'd remembered the announcement of it and how he'd commented on the weird choices Genm made in terms of merchandise. Yet it had sold so fast none were available after the pre-orders were done.

Parad had really made a habit of being at the top of the pre-orders list for all of Genm's merchandise.

Emu looked into the crowd. To where Kuroto had been. He couldn't see him now. It felt as though the stage lights were burning his eyes, making it impossible for him to make anyone out in the crowd.

Was Kuroto watching this?

He shouldn't care.

This was nothing to do with Kuroto. This was about him and Parad. This was about their relationship which was something Kuroto had no part in.

If they got married now, that was for them. That was for their relationship. Kuroto never had to care about it because he wasn't someone in their lives.

He was just a bastard. Emu had to remember that.

"Of course," Emu let the words slide out, even though they felt devoid of heart, of emotion, of all his thoughts. They were just words. But they were the start of finally getting this together properly. They would get married and this would truly be behind them.

Maybe he'd retire from competitive gaming now. He wasn't the titleholder. He didn't have to keep attending Genm events now.

He never had to see Kuroto again.

Parad passed the microphone back to Amagasaki who took it between claps. Everyone was clapping as the ring slid onto his finger.

Yet he was still looking at them and not at his hand.

Parad led him off stage. The shift from the stage lighting cleared Emu's head quickly. Like a fog was lifted from his brain. Parad was still trying to lead him but he stopped completely and waited for Parad to stop. Parad turned to look at him, filled with concern as if he thought he was going to receive the worst news ever.

Instead, Emu grabbed him and kissed him as hard as he could.

"I love you."

* * *

Parad was crying.

Full-on sobbing in the reception.

"It's not that bad."  
"YES IT IS!" Parad wiped his snotty nose on his sleeve before doing the same with his tears. "I've been training for so long and I finally beat you and and and-"  
"And Nico beat you fair and square. You shouldn't underestimate a genius gamer."  
Parad scowled at him, clearly mad about the suggestion that he was not himself a genius gamer also. The sore truth that a title like that was only given to someone who tried to set up a gamer tag under 3 characters long.

"Come on, it wasn't that bad a day," Emu grabbed his right hand with his left and raised it to show off the ring for him. "Though we're going to have a lot of planning to do."  
Parad ran his fingers over the ring. It was a quick way to dry up his tears.

"How does it work though?"  
"What do you mean how does it work? We plan the wedding when we feel like it-"  
"No, I mean like, do I get to wear an engagement ring too?"  
"...Did you buy two of them?"  
Parad stayed silent.  
That was a yes.  
Emu laughed a bit under his breath.  
"You can wear one too. That way you get twice the opportunity to tell people about it."

He had called a taxi, but it was hard knowing when it would show up with so many running back and forth from the centre taking people home. Emu turned his phone back on and waited for a minute as messages poured in.

_Sucks you lost the title Ace!! Least you can make Parad spend a shit ton on you! Do you want to borrow one of my shirts for the big day?_

He'd have to think about it.

_Hi Hojo! One of the coroners came into the nurse's office to let us know you got engaged! Congratulations! You'll have to tell us about it when you're back! -Karino_

_Dr Kagami says congratulations also :) -Karino_

He highly doubted Doctor Kagami actually cared about his engagement but he appreciated nurse Karino suggesting he did.

_Should of got a taxi with me wife city (๑•̀ㅂ•́)و✧-ChampioN_

He'd count that as congratulations in Nico language.

Well, she was right, he kind of regretted not getting the taxi with her when the rain started.

Tonight though was about him and Parad.

Another taxi finally pulled up, calling for Hojo. They ran for it together, ducking out of the rain. Parad got in ahead of him and Emu dived to get beside him.

For a second though, he caught the driver out the corner of his eye. His brain screamed at him to look again because it couldn't be. He couldn't be.

He wasn't.

He was just a normal taxi driver they didn't know.

Just one that happened to have a striking resemblance to Kuroto when you aren't looking at him quite right.

Emu stared at him, letting his brain settle as Parad gave him the address. It would have been bad if it had been Kuroto but Kuroto had no reason to be driving a taxi.

Unless of course, he'd seen the proposal and was making one last-ditch effort to change Emu's mind about the marriage. He'd borrowed a taxi so that he could have Emu locked in with him while he pleaded with him to dump Parad and realise that they were meant to be. That this marriage wasn't what he wanted and what he wanted was to be with someone he truly loved.

Kuroto would have made him sit in the front so he could grab him and kiss him while Parad sat in the back. Emu wouldn't be able to resist because he'd be so caught up in the moment he'd be taking full advantage of the situation. He'd be climbing onto Kuroto's lap, begging him to please fuck him again, please make him feel as good as before. Kuroto would do as he wanted, Kuroto wouldn't be able to resist him. Parad would be stuck in the back, watching his fiancé cry for another man's cock.

He could feel himself getting hard at the thought of cucking Parad. Bouncing on Kuroto's cock with more enthusiasm than he had ever shown him. He wanted to deny it but in a situation like that, he'd be happy to do just about anything Kuroto asked of him.

He tried to snap himself out of it, taking hold of Parad's hand tight to bring himself back down. He wouldn't be seeing Kuroto any more. He'd avoid all chance encounters. Turn the other way when he saw him. No matter what kinky thought went through his head, it would never happen. Never again.

He was setting this straight.

They got out of the taxi at his and stood and watched it leave.

"How about, we have a little fun to celebrate our engagement?" Emu winked at him, the outdoor lights in the overhang just enough to be sure Parad saw.

He would deal with this particular boner the right way. With his fiancé.


	6. For The Longest Time

The big day came. Came barrelling in faster than Emu could process. From all the organising, the bookings, the endless nights sitting with Parad making up the invitations and deciding who to invite. Trying to decide what to wear when Parad came in with his own suit. A deep purple jacket and trousers with perfect puzzle cufflinks. They'd sat debating if they should match but when he asked Kiriya's opinion he insisted he'd have to put one of his favourite aloha shirts under it.

_You need something borrowed ace ;)_

He settled on a rather traditional dress.

"Hold on let me just," Kiriya was with him getting him ready as his best man. He layered the aloha shirt over the dress, buttoning it up to complete the look. "See, I think it adds a bit of colour! It's far too white on its own, you need something spice it up!"

Emu smiled, immediately taking the shirt back off.

"Just zip me up."  
"You sure? Wouldn't have to worry about the zip if you wore the shirt."  
"Kiriya."

He could see Kiriya's smile in the mirror as he dramatically sighed and agreed. The dress fit perfectly but he was right, it was far too white on its own.

He pulled his favourite trainers out of his bag.

"That your idea for adding colour?"  
"If Parad's going to be wearing purple, I figured red and blue would be a good match for it."  
"If anyone sees them under the dress."  
Emu put them on and on dropping the skirt, they were completely covered. He didn't mind, though it created an absence of the colourful pop to the outfit it meant he hadn't wasted any money buying proper shoes for no one to see them. He'd make sure to flash them later though just to show off.

They'd decided on keeping something casual about the wedding, it suited them more. Though it hadn't been an immediate decision. At first, Parad had tried to argue for something flashy. In particular, having the ceremony at their favourite arcade. Emu refused. It wasn't his favourite arcade anymore after all since now the ghost of that chance meeting with Kuroto lingered in it and he didn't want it haunting their wedding.

He'd do this right.

So he'd argued with him and eventually with no better ideas than the arcade, though he knew Parad almost suggested getting married at Genm before biting his tongue remembering who would undoubtedly be there, they settled for a simple church wedding. With little family of their own, it felt the easiest way to make it about their friends instead.

There was a knock on the door of the apartment and Emu almost instinctively went to get it but Kiriya quickly stopped him to avoid any damage to the dress. Kiriya opened the door and greeted Parad's best man at the door.

"Graphite!" Kiriya sounded ecstatic to see him and ushered him in quickly. Despite him being Parad's best man, Emu and Graphite weren't close. Not close in the sort of way where Graphite scowled at him every time their eyes met. Emu knew he didn't know what happened, but if he had less confidence in Parad's denial of it he'd believe he did with the hatred Graphite always showed him. He was sure that the only reason Graphite attended the wedding was for Parad.

Kiriya however, was Kiriya, and took Graphite's attitude as a signal that he was someone particularly easy to hang off of and pick on. Meaning that since he'd found out they were to be the best men, he'd been taking every opportunity to get in contact with Graphite.

"I just think I could-"  
"At a wedding?"  
"Listen-"  
"At my wedding?"

Well, he hadn't dissuaded him most likely, but least he wasn't going to have to hear about it. He didn't particularly like the idea of Kiriya trying to hook up with Graphite even outside his wedding.

He'd saw the messages Graphite sent Parad.

Graphite had made it very clear he didn't approve of them getting married and had spent multiple conversations trying to convince Parad to call the whole thing off. If he'd known about the cheating, Emu would have understood, but since he didn't know he felt the need to take it more personally. Though was Graphite really wrong? Was he wrong to take offence when he really was no better than Graphite thought of him?

Either way, he wasn't a fan of his friend hooking up with a guy that clearly despised him. Sadly, he couldn't say that directly without potentially having to bring up that he read Parad's private conversations and Kiriya would undoubtedly rip into him for it.

One thing Emu did get from reading those chat logs though, was how set Parad's heart was on him. How little doubt he had in him. How fully he believed in their relationship.

How deep he had fooled himself into believing that the way things were was good and how it should be.

So it would be a reality for him. He'd be the best he could be. By the end of the night, he'd be letting all of Parad's faults slip through. He would let them become something endearing in his mind, something there was no need to fix. He would learn to live with the things that once bothered him. With the one who had once bothered him.

He hadn't paid much mind to what Graphite was doing there. Kiriya was talking to him, or rather flirting with him, and giving him some stuff for the ceremony that had been left behind. Graphite was grumbling and blushing as he left.

"He says your car will be here in like 10 minutes, we better head down." Kiriya bundled the train into his arms, giving Emu the freedom to walk. "Once we get there it's chill while they get everyone in, do the ceremony, do all those niceties and bouquet throwing, then while everyone's talking and shit you guys can sign the documents. It's better that way than making everyone sit bored while you guys go off for that."

Emu nodded along, only semi listening. He knew most of the plans for the day, and he'd be getting directed through everything to make sure all plans were followed. Such was the way of weddings. There wasn't anything to truly worry about, no way to truly slip up. He couldn't deviate from the path because everyone was working to keep them on track.

It would be a truly perfect day.

* * *

The doors opened. The church was brightly lit and bouquets of flowers were lined up on the back wall, with a few towards the front. The organ was being played off to the side but Emu didn't know enough to tell if it was being played particularly well, just that he wasn't quite sure about the sound.

At the other end of the long carpet stood Parad, in his purple suit. An attempt had been made to tame his hair and had left it looking much like Emu's own. Parad was bouncing from his toes to his heels, not looking around at him like he wanted desperately to keep it a surprise just a little longer. Excitement was shaking his entire body up there.

The guest list had been relatively small. It was mostly made up of people they'd made friends with over games, people from university, and people from work placements. They'd liked it that way. No unwanted guests.

They'd each been handed a pamphlet with information that Emu now caught sight of the cover of as it was sitting closed on Hiiro's lap.  
'A practical guide for getting through the ceremony, by Kiriya and Graphite.'

"You'll have to show me the pamphlet after this." He whispered to Kiriya with a laugh and Kiriya laughed back with that stupid smile of his.

As he neared the front, he could see the line of mascot plushies occupying a pew, all facing towards the front. All Parad's own except for a couple that Emu had spent the last few weeks wondering about since they'd mysteriously gone missing from his shelves without a word. A lineup of the Drago Knight protag, Mighty Action X, Poppy Pipopapo, among others.

Notably missing, however, were the Mighty Brothers.

He looked over at Parad just as Parad turned to face him, with a massive smile on his face and the two plushies in hand. He took a step forward and put them down to take Emu's hand. It was warm and sweaty and real. Emu had barely registered how strange he'd felt here, how out of place and dreamlike until he had something to properly ground him to it.

This was his actual wedding, this was actually happening. He stood here now before everyone with Parad's hand in his own. This was it. All their plans complete.

It was going to be alright. The thought made him want to grab Parad and kiss him now as if it would that cement all their troubles were over, that the reality for the past was properly behind him never to be revisited. Now it would be perfection and a happy life. Together. With Parad.

The ceremony was starting and he was nearly too lost in the joy of the weight leaving his chest to follow. He was glad Parad said his vows first to awaken him to the fact he was going to have to say his own. Parad had pressed their foreheads together and he could feel him shaking with joy. Could smell the mint on his breath as he spoke. The heat of that same breath. His eyes were sparkling in a way that suggested he may well burst into tears of joy at any given moment.

Parad loved him so much.

Emu was happy in a way he hadn't been in a long time. Maybe since they'd first started dating. That dreamy blissful happiness that despite all reality said nothing was wrong. He would pray to never break away from it as if doing so would mean reawakening to it all.

He leaned in closer as he spoke his own vows, not caring for the others present in the room or Graphite's particular groans of disgust behind Parad. 

This was about them now. Only them. No one else. No one would be allowed to ruin it for him.

Their lips met before the officiant even finished the cue and he could hear Kiriya laugh behind him at their eagerness. Parad was still very much Parad, and that was the comfort that was brought when kissing him. He was the same as ever. No one else. No one new. Still the Parad he'd decided to love. It was the familiar lips kissing him. Familiar hand holding his face as he did. Things he had felt a million times and would a million times more.

He smiled. His heart was truly full of joy at what was happening. At how empty his mind now was of everything that usually plagued him.

Everyone stood up to head outside and they stood together watching them all leave, hands held tight at their sides. Kiriya remained to tell them when to go and to hold Emu's dress as they walked. Together, hand in hand.

"Wait, hold on," Parad let go for a second and ran back. He came back holding the mighty brothers plushies and gave the orange one to Emu, keeping the turquoise one for himself. Emu held it in the other hand as he once again took Parad's.

They walked out together into the bright sun, holding the two as a pair. A pair they had always been.

The day felt more beautiful now. The wind still, the sun bright. Just the perfect warmth for a wedding. The air felt clean and refreshing.

Their friends were standing on either side as they walked, throwing confetti as people did. Kiriya had dropped the train and ran to grab some from Graphite to join in.

"Don't go fucking this up now!" Kiriya shouted to them, making Emu aware of the noise their friends were making. How they all clapped for them.

And no sooner than Emu nodded, acknowledging Kiriya's comment, a black limousine pulled up at the end of the road.

Emu stared at it a moment before it dawned on him.

That wasn't what the car they had hired.

No, no, no.

That was a limousine he knew.

One that had the decals of the genm mascots across the door.

Emu was frozen in place.

Maybe it was a surprise from Parad. He'd rented this limousine as a surprise at the wedding.

The clapping and cheering stopped.

Everyone was staring at it with him.

Emu looked around and Parad and he was staring at it, potentially even more horrified than Emu was.

He hadn't planned this.

It felt as if the Earth was standing still. No one making noise. No one moving. The world buffering as Emu was thrust back to reality.

As Dan Kuroto stepped out the car.

Yes, now the world was very real. That dreamlike feeling was gone. His perfect day gone, the reality of the past thrust full force into his face. But now he felt nothing. Nothing at all. Not joy, not sadness, not anger. He was empty as he had been so many times.

Kuroto was holding flowers. White, black, and red.

Emu's brain went back into overdrive as it had so many times now. Kuroto was here, here at his wedding. Kuroto was crashing their wedding, with a bouquet of flowers. He knew Kuroto had seen the proposal, was this it? Had Kuroto finally arrived to sweep him away? To tell him he never stopped thinking about him, that he truly loved him and couldn't bear to see him marry another?

Emu let go of Parad's hand as his heart swelled.

Oh God.

Try as he might, he no longer loved Parad. All those things had eaten away at him. The takeaways. The obsession with games. The obsession with beating him. The rather pathetic sex. It had all eaten through the love he once held for Parad like termites. Eaten till there was nothing left of it. He'd forced himself for so long, forced himself for this wedding, forced himself for Parad's sake.

But it wasn't right.

"Parad," Emu's voice shook. "I'm sorry."

The tears swole up in his eyes and he knew Parad looked at him now.

"You deserve better than this. You deserve someone who actually loves you. Not someone like me."

He put the plush on Parad's arm beside its brother and stood on his tiptoes to place a kiss of Parad's cheek.

Parad was still too shocked to react.

But Emu was running, running for what felt like ever but was in reality only a few steps before he saw Kuroto walking towards him and he stopped. He didn't mean to but it was if his feet were stuck, forcing him to wait for Kuroto to approach him.

Every second, Kuroto drew closer and closer, and Emu's heart swelled with each step that man took, waiting for the payoff, waiting for it all to come together.

Then, Kuroto walked past him.

He was empty once more.

Now, he was truly cemented in reality. He turned around, gaze following Kuroto as he walked.

Until he came to a stop in front of Parad.

"I'm in love with you."

It was Kuroto's voice and the words rang through Emu's head. They were not spoken to him but they lingered, or rather rattled around like a swarm of bees in his brain.

Kuroto was holding the bouquet out to Parad.

"You approached me for an autograph one day and I couldn't stop thinking about you. You were on my mind for so long. I remembered your name. Then I found out you were one of the competitors in our tournaments and it gave me the chance. After that, I seemed to see you everywhere. You always pre-ordered everything we put out and I'd move you to the top of lists, I'd deny others to make sure you got everything you wanted." Kuroto gave Parad no time to respond as he spoke, and the words simply floated in Emu's head not allowing themselves to be fully understood yet.

"When I saw you at the arcade, I couldn't stop staring. I realised this must be a divine work to bring us together. I had no opportunity to speak to you then but I knew I had to. Then I learned you were dating M and I realised it couldn't be so simple. I held off, I focused on other things, saw other people. The next event you competed in I avoided hosting, but I couldn't stop myself and ended up watching. Then you proposed and I realised I couldn't let this happen. Parad. Please accept my feelings now."

Everything was silent.

Emu couldn't come to terms with what was happening before him.

Something wasn't right.

He ran over, suddenly filled with anger.

"Wait," Emu shouted, drawing both Parad and Kuroto's attention to him. "If you're so in love with him, then why did you fuck me?"

Kuroto stared at him for a minute mouth agape, as if he hadn't expected someone to object to him confessing to the groom at a wedding.

"We?"  
"We had sex! You came to my door to deliver a parcel and you came in and we fucked!"

Kuroto seemed stunned for a minute, but then he started laughing.

"Ah, I guess I did. Yes, you couldn't resist the chance to feast on a man of such divine talent, but that was you who wanted it so badly. I know when to give fans what they want, and such a dedicated fan, I didn't mind it. I understand why you'd be so enthralled by me, but I never suggested I felt the same for you." Kuroto's face cracked every few seconds, like a mask struggling under the pressure of something happening off-script.

Enough for Emu to realise that despite knowing the fact, Kuroto had never connected him properly between being M and being Parad's boyfriend.

Kuroto had never truly thought of him.

"Yes."

Emu and Kuroto's heads both snapped back around to look at Parad, who had finally brought himself to speak.

"I'll go out with you," Parad now spoke with conviction that made Emu shake.  
"Parad what do you-" He started, suddenly feeling so horribly lost in what was happening.  
"I want to go out with Kuroto. You don't love me. He does. He didn't know what was happening when you two fucked, you meanwhile were desperate for him. If Kuroto loves me, then I want to be loved!"

Parad sniffled in that way he did when he was holding back the urge to cry. Kuroto took the step forward and hugged him, holding him tight in his arms and he could hear him whispering in Parad's ear.

The two left together, leaving Emu stood among his friends in the remnants of what should have been a perfectly textbook wedding.

He didn't know when Kiriya stepped forward, but the hand clutched his shoulder tight.

"I think I know a good therapist I can get you booked in with."

Emu could tell what he really wanted to say was "I told you so."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you all so much for all the support on this fic! Cy I hope it has all been worth it, and thank you for all your ideas in making this a reality.  
I've received so much support on this absolute meme piece I never expected, thank you all for enjoying the trainwreck and sitting in the passenger seat as Emu drove you through Hell.
> 
> Plot credit of course goes to this fantastic ad; https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6-1Ue0FFrHY

**Works inspired by this one:**

  * [Gamer Fuel](https://archiveofourown.org/works/23484922) by [aquabluejay](https://archiveofourown.org/users/aquabluejay/pseuds/aquabluejay)
  * [A Long Long Side Story](https://archiveofourown.org/works/26420299) by [DroppedAllTheseOreos](https://archiveofourown.org/users/DroppedAllTheseOreos/pseuds/DroppedAllTheseOreos)


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